The HTC Hermes surfaced the first time publicly during 3GSM Congress in February but so far, no operators has publicly committed a launch of the device or a release date. Now it looks like T-Mobile will be the first one who will launch it, at least it looks like they have announced it today in its German press release. There, T-Mobile Germany, announced a new Windows Mobile device called "MDA Vario II" to be available early summer 2006! If you follow T-Mobile's naming scheme, the MDA Vario II must hava a keyboard (like the Vario I which is the HTC Wizard) and the only device I'm aware of which supports both, a keyboard and UMTS with HSDPA seems to be the HTC Hermes.

Therefore it looks like T-Mobile plans to continue with its MDA-line of Pocket PC Phone Editions and will introduce the HTC Hermes mid this year. Definitely good news but still a speculation. Nevertheless, we will know more - I'm sure - when the CeBIT starts this Thursday.